


Serving Two Masters

by RubinaLadybug



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fantasy, Friendship, Gen, POV First Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-18 09:35:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28741107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RubinaLadybug/pseuds/RubinaLadybug
Summary: [Alternate Universe] "They say no one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other." Dark Magician’s POV. One shot.
Kudos: 7





	Serving Two Masters

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write a story with a Duel Monster in the lead. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** _**Yu-Gi-Oh!** _ **characters and plot belong to Kazuki Takahashi**

_**Serving Two Masters** _

He’s more determined than I first gave credit. His round eyes carry that fierce conviction. I’ve watched him climb over sharp rocks and scale around boulders, scuffing his boots. I’ve seen him taking it one step at a time down rutted hills. His red cape snags on twigs and burrs. I’ve observed him treading through dense and slippery mud puddles, only occasionally looking down to establish where his feet trudge. His face often compared to cherubs now houses numerous scraps. His once soft hands are now covered with unpleasant callouses. He masks them using his leather gray gloves. His well-brushed hair of black edged with crimson tips is now matted and tangled. Including his gold bangs. I lead the way with him close behind. Whenever he starts to huff, I turn back to him. I see if he wants to take a rest. He gets the feeling that I’m watching him. He looks back at me. He shakes his head, implying he wants to continue. He’s almost like my master.

I serve a great king ruling over a prosperous nation. The recently crowned King Atem battled against a strong enemy. A wicked thief. My master had been overpowered. This thief endangered my master’s kingdom and his younger brother, the next heir. As an effective ruler to save his kingdom, he permitted himself to be captured by the thief. He forbade me to fight against the thief and his monsters. Instead, I was to protect his brother, the one whom I am now traveling with. Our quest is to save my master, King Atem. His savior comes in the form of this young one. And these two brothers are vastly different.

To some, these brothers have only bloodline and physical appearances in similarities. As my master is first in line, he had been groomed to take the throne after their father. He is strong-minded. He knows his role for the kingdom and has accepted it. We share the bond many masters and their Duel Monsters develop. The younger one is meeker. He is more reluctant to take on his royal duties. We have yet to make that connection to where we can exchange thoughts. He can’t hear me, and I can’t hear him. I rely on his facial expressions, his body gestures, or his words. I don’t speak. So he relies on my non-verbal cues. This has served a great importance for our expedition.

The forest we are traveling in is heavy with trees and bushes. Its even fuller from other Duel Monsters that roam the land. I cradle no fear. Because I hail from the king’s court, I am powerful. It is my mission to protect my master. I have been ordered to guard his brother from anymore harm.

The young one keeps his focus ahead. His violet eyes are vigorous. His arms and legs must feel heavy. He still wears his weighted brown boots and blue armor. Around his neck is a precious artifact, The Millennium Puzzle. During that formidable battle between my master and the thief, the Item mysteriously split into two. Both pyramids are whole, but they contain less power. Those who wield an Item detain better control over us Duel Monsters. And the one who possess all seven Millennium Items will grip unimaginable power. Without any doubts, this is why the thief came to the palace. He was already wielding the Millennium Ring.

Maintaining my face forward, I soon no longer hear any footsteps progressing. The young one stops. I cease my movement as well. He dismally stares down at the Puzzle. He caresses the connected gold pieces.

“This is probably all a trap,” he cheerlessly mumbles. His gentle voice is disturbed. His dower expression counters his classic buoyant personality. “He’s definitely after this Puzzle. That’s why he attacked the palace. That’s why he attacked Yami. My brother was only trying to protect me. I was too weak to defend myself.”

He turns to me. His countenance changes. “But I want to push on ahead. I know me and you can make this mission. We still have some daylight left. We should use it while we can.”

I nod. The younger one may be humble, at times even submissive, but he’s showing his courage now. I respect that. I continue to provide guardianship over this boy because my master had ordered me to. I carter to this young one’s will to follow my duty. I take the forward direction first.

Our trip has been clear. We rarely stop. The only reason is for quick breaks. We have been blessed to not have come across any bandits. This young one had encountered trouble against tormentors and ruffians, needing to be rescued by his brother or his friends. With me around, a warrior for the king, I have managed to frighten away any outlaws or robbers. The young one keeps his part in his silence. He is quiet. He’s never been one to wish to draw attention towards himself. On a mission like this against a paramount opponent, one must be prepared for danger.

Our harmony comes to an end. We halt our traveling. Ahead on the dirt path stands a strange, fuzzy creature. Even from behind we can make out its green limbs.

“Is that… a Kuriboh?” the young one questions aloud. His hand hovers around his waist over his holster that holds his magical cards. He needs these magical items on his pursuit to aid me. I have yet to need his assistance.

I focus in on this creature as well. The monster becomes aware of us. It turns around. It reveals its sharp three eyes. Even with its green limbs, they held knifelike claws. It clearly is not like the pet back at the palace.

“It’s a Sangan!” the young one announces. Recognizing the threat, he turns to me. “Quick! Dark Magician! Destroy it before it comes any further!”

I see it racing towards us. Its hops around the tree trunks to propel itself forward. It raises its claws. It is primed to fight. I waste no time retaliating. I raise my hand. My energy courses through me. I give a blast of my ancient magic. The monster cries in pain before being destroyed. We are safe.

“Whew!” the young one sighs. “That monster was most likely from that thief’s deck. And it’s only gonna get tougher along the way.”

He is decisive. He knows the rules to the game. Will it be enough to be a ruler in his own right? Only time will tell.

The quick battle doesn’t deter him. Facing me, he asks, “He’ll be up to his shady tricks. Ready?”

I nod. I wish to face the criminal whom harmed my master. We move on.

Our journey is mainly in the absence of conversations. At times he will remark about something he sees. Or he says something encouraging. He tries to keep his hope aflame. We come down to silence as we cannot speak to each other. As our jarring path moves on, I know he is focusing on his mission. He clearly worries about his brother. I am worried about my master.

What follows us is the sound of crunching dead grass. When the covert trip first began, the serenading birds of the morning and the lullaby of trilling crickets at night reached our ears freely. Running water from the babbling brooks offered refreshment. Our eyes were also treated. The trees and grass were a vibrant green. The sky was sparkling blue with plenty of glowing stars at night. But now as we travel further and further away, the liveliness of it all is vanishing. I can only hope to prevent this madness from reaching the kingdom.

We don’t wander a long way to where I see something else blocking our road. From far away it looks like one purple mess. Upon a closer inspection it is a wicket spirit composed by an assemblage of souls. There is no particular form or face. The assortment comes closer. Behind me I sense the young one deciding what action to take.

“We’re not gonna be part of that collection!” he bravely shouts. He doesn’t even take one step back. “Dark Magician! Take down that Souls of the Forgotten!”

My staff bravely faces the assortment. The creature dissipates. Another monster from the thief is crushed.

I hear the young one sighing once again. I study his face. He still adheres that perseverance. But these battles are wearisome. I can reason that this great amount of time away from the palace is causing him to miss those who are closest to him. We had shipped out on this quest alone. He insisted on leaving by himself. We left before any of his other companions or grandfather was up. Does he feel this burden must be carried by himself? Perhaps I feel the same. I had failed to save my master.

“I wish my friends could be here,” he wistfully remarks. “By now they know I left. They must be aware of why I left. They’re probably out looking for me.”

Doubt begins building and retreating in his eyes. The light from the sun shines against his half of the Puzzle. He shakes his head. “We gotta go. I gotta save Yami before anyone else puts themselves in danger because of me.”

His anxiety controlling him, he takes his charge ahead of me. I see him run off. He doesn’t scurry too far before the dull brown ground crumbles beneath his dark gray boots. A dark pit develops under him. My eyes widen. He yelps as he starts to fall. I waste no time stretching out my staff. But since I have no voice, I cannot direct him. Thankfully in a flash his purple irises see the green. His gray gloved hand snatches that handle. I pull him out.

“Boy, that was close!” he gasps. His startled eyes stare at me. Before he could spit a word out, we hear a growl centering from the pit.

Inspecting the giant hole, we see a human-like creature emerging. There is no distinguished characteristics. Only the monster’s top is transpiring. It, however, doesn’t attack us. The young one brings himself to his feet as he recognizes the monster.

“Earthbound Spirit must be using its defenses,” he deducts. He gathers his courage and wit. “But Dark Magician is stronger! Use your power to defeat this roadblock!”

I hold my own confidence in myself. I have studied the greatest of tomes to learn what I know. I swing my staff to destroy what is in front of us. The creature is vanquished, and the hole disappears. We are free to carry on.

“More monsters will be on their way,” the young one grimly observes. “This is gonna be a harder challenge than I thought. Especially if that thief can control the other half of the Puzzle.”

He reaches for the pendent around his neck once more. He squeezes it. We don’t proceed. He stands in place, thinking. I am unable to read his mind. I can only tell that he is examining his options and the past battles we had confronted. He then turns to me.

“I know I’m not Yami,” he stoutly begins. “I know you’re protecting me because he ordered you to. So, thanks, for saving me back there.”

He smiles.

His words shouldn't have caught me off guard. But they did. I see how genuine he is. The bond between master and monster is clear. We Duel Monsters serve our masters. We are their servants. We battle alongside them. We take their commands. At times we even sacrifice ourselves for them. Yet not all humans are like that. Only the masters who treat their monsters as friends are able to truly cultivate this unique bond. Mine had always been with the prince-turned-king. His younger brother in front of me is truly grateful for my work. He has looked me in the eye and speaks to me like he does to his human friends.

“I get that you were hesitant of me leaving the palace. I’m OK that you went along because you want to save Yami,” he brightly says, listing off my feelings. I grow amazed with how accurate he is able to read me. He’s panting. He’s exhausted but not his spirit. “I’m glad we can use our goal to keep going. I knew I could trust you!”

Trust. That was a valuable trait my master bound for me. He trusted me during his absence to shelter his little brother, a great treasure of his. Was I wrong to go along with the younger one? Was I breaking my command with this mission?

He chuckles to comfort himself, “I hope Yami will be OK that we did this and not get so angry when we find him.”

I understood his remark. My master was one trained to be just. He shows his anger against those who act unlawful. At times he was displeased with his younger brother. My bond allowed me to feel that the prince at the time was only worried for his brother’s safety. I inspect the younger one. He seems to be fine with moving forward. When night comes, I will insist we stop. I can’t allow my master’s brother to harm himself.

The young one barely turns when he sees a strange, round jar up ahead. It is set in the middle of the corrugated route. We are unable to move past it, for trees trunks and bushes are also blocking the narrow avenue.

“It’s probably another one of his monsters,” the young one deduces. He takes out three cards from his holster. “All we can do is clear our path.”

I nodded, ready for battle.

“Dark Magician! Attack that monster!”

I bring up my staff. The creature inside the ceramic jar responds. We see a black creature with one red eye bursting out from the top.

“No!” the young one gasps. “It’s a Morphing Jar!”

It was too late to call off my attack. The creature and its jar are annihilated.

The lane is now unblocked. But this was not a great achievement. I turn around. I see the dishearten expression on his rotund face. His hand holds three cards. They fade away. He pulls from his holster five new cards.

“There’s no point in moping lost magic,” he bravely declares. “We can’t let this one bad move define our future ones. We gotta continue this game to save Yami.”

A game. That is a hobby my master and his brother share. They had spent many hours with each other and their friends partaking in ones that involve cards, pieces, and other trinkets compelled to a set of rules. When they are playing their games, that is the happiest I see them. I may be an imperial warrior, but I, too, long for those jubilant times. I agree with the younger one. The two of us have experienced many victories. This had been a minor hindrance. We must keep in mind this result and reevaluate our strategies. We must play our best in this game.

The sky above us blocked by trees is growing darker. The colors are turning a gruesome red, something close to death. The branches are heavy, but a tad of light is still available. We have enough time to make a closer byway before it becomes too dark. The young one will need his rest if we are to continue the next morning.

Our solitude is interrupted when another creature appears. It seems to be a created from evil magic. A dark aura surrounds it. Its gold breastplate contrast against its blue complexion and purple thigh-high boots. Its most peculiar feature is a broken glass doll it carries in its blue arms. The toy’s head possess an opening on one side. This creature seems to be a powerful one.

I raise my staff for protection. I felt myself growing uneasy. This monster seems to be powerful enough on its own. My mind races. My heart pounds. I begin to question my own strength. I’ve already failed my master. I would fail my responsibility in looking after his little brother. As the creature prepares to attack, something stops it. Three swords fall from the sky. These are not ones made of metal. They are made of light. They enclose the monster, freezing it in place.

“I activated my magic card, Swords of Revealing Light!” the young one announces. “It prevents Dark Necrofear from attacking!”

He then addresses to me. “Dark Magician! His monster’s in attack mode! It’s got a weaker attack than defense! Destroy his Dark Necrofear!”

I listen to him. Just as he trusts me, I believe in his strategy. With one swift swipe of my staff, I follow his command. I destroy one of the thief’s most powerful creatures at his disposal. There is no stopping me from my goal.

After a peaceful moment, the young one comments, “He’s using a powerful Duel Monster. We must be getting closer.”

It’s nearly pitch black out. The temperature is dropping. We should stop for the night. But that plan is dashed when we hear rustling. Another monster rushed out of the bushes, impeding our trail. Unlike the other monsters, we cannot clearly see this one. We can only see the creature’s stunted silhouette. I wait for the young one’s direction.

“He’s putting that Duel Monster in defense!” he comments. “We gotta show him that he can’t bluff with a mysterious monster! Dark Magician! Dark Magic attack!”

I raise up my hand. I blast the creature with my grand magic. It reveals itself to us. It is a purple lizard. Its chest carries a V-shape marking with matching color strips on its tail. Two zappers sprout from the top of its head. Red lips protrude from its face. They are open, exposing jagged teeth. It doesn’t seem to exercise great force. But that doesn’t change the tone from my master’s brother.

“Oh no!” the young one shouts, realizing his mistake.

The creature is gone in an instant.

I wait for a moment. I seek if any other opponents are coming our way. Before I can turn around, a discharge of lightning strikes me. I clasped my eyes and grit my teeth in pain. I fall to my knees.

“No!” I hear the young one yell. “Dark Magician!”

He races towards me. He disregards if the battlefield is clear. Fortunately no other monsters appear.

My strength is taken. I fall to my back. My arms sprawl out with one hand still holding my green staff. I shut my eyes. I am unable to move. My master’s brother kneels beside me. I can feel his presence. He’s close enough to where I can hear his breathing. It’s uneven. He’s taking in sharp breaths and releasing it in an uneven pace.

“This is all my fault,” he cries. “That thief had placed that Duel Monster in the shadows so I couldn’t see it. I fell right into his trap. I was the one who ordered you to attack that Electric Lizard. Now you can’t move.”

I crack one eye open. I look at him. I can see the sorrow implanted on his heart. Tears flourish beneath his eyes. They fall.

“I’m sorry,” the young weeps, his voice failing into a whisper. “This is all my fault. I was too weak to save myself. Now Yami is gone. You’re doing what you can to protect me. Now you’re hurt. It’s all my fault. I’m so sorry.”

I watch him as he laments. Hearing his sobs brings anguish to my own heart. I remember how my master was able to comfort him. When someone believes a ruler has become harden, this young one reminds him of his gentler side. He would show this genial characteristic to his brother when the moment called for it. He would embrace him. And at times when something worried my master, this young one would do the same. They shared a grand bond. I found myself needing to do it as well.

Slowly, I bring my free hand to his tender face. I keep moving despite the numbness that controls my body. My heart fights for me to complete this gesture. I gently curve my fingers around the side of his blooming face. Surprise at the touch, he looks at me. My blue eyes meet his purple. I can’t speak to him. I can’t offer him words of endearment like my master can. This is the best way I can comfort him. He could've brought another Duel Monster to fight in this war. But he trusted me. I am grateful for that faith. We seem to make a fine team. I only smile back.

My affection seems to curb his grief. He closes his eyes and releases a soft laughter. His rigid stance softens. He collects himself and relaxes his breathing.

“We should stop for the night,” he decides. “I’m pretty bushed. We can start again in the morning when you’re better, too.”

I nod.

Pulling himself away, he sets up a small campfire. We are quiet as our individual minds drift into pondering our next strategies and our hearts wondering if my master is safe. He stays by my side. I am truly touched by this act of kindness. I vow in my heart to remain faithful to him. Perhaps what I am doing is considered blasphemous among masters and Duel Monsters.

They say no one can serve two masters.Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. That doesn’t bother me. It appears I have room in my heart for both.

**The End**

**Author's Note:**

> Dark Magician, 2500/2100
> 
> Sangan, 1000/600, Effect: When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, select one monster with an ATK of 1500 or less from your Deck, show it to your opponent, and add it to your hand. Then shuffle your Deck.
> 
> Souls of the Forgotten, 900/200
> 
> Earthbound Spirit, 500/2000
> 
> Morphing Jar, 700/600, Effect: FLIP: Both players discard their entire hands, then draw 5 cards.
> 
> Dark Necrofear, 2200/2800, Effect: You can Special Summon this card from your hand by removing from play 3 Fiend-Type monsters in your Graveyard. When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, you can activate 1 “Dark Sanctuary” from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard.
> 
> Electric Lizard, 850/800, Effect: A non Zombie-type monster attacking “Electric Lizard” cannot attack on its following turn.


End file.
